The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-09-30

have already been blasted and ptterl,
conAumed by wild fires. On oyery aide o
tho lake but here tho primsynl forest
YET stood, green and stately; but tho de
atfoying element had come, and tho face o.
this mighty mountain; was wrapped In Z
whirlwind Of conhagratlons. Trees wert
falling like grass before. q scythe, and the
dark columa OF amoke ascended 90 high
N the heavens that the tops were beyond
the reach Of human vision. Grand as
was this scene Of destruction when beheld
IN all ita reality, II was yet more grand
when viewed rs a picture In the lake.
Every feature was brought out with tho
most vsved distinctncsa. Every burst Of
lame and every billow OF smoke that roll.
ed upward toward abe sky, had q picture
IN the lake, and In this picture each burst
o. iiame and every surge OF smoke aeem.
ed to plunge downward through the dark
blue Of that fathomless eter1ity, N q.
In the Western end OF the lake was elill
another scene. It WEB picture OF calmness
anu repoae, rect aud peace, and some.
Thing Of penslyeness and melancholy.
me sun was near down upon the summit
OF the mountain there, aud over tho
mountain hung q few cloute, dreary.look.
Ing, yet fringed with a hundred colo,s
from the sunlight. They looked like the
clouds that drift along tho West In Oc,o.
per. The sunbeams pierced through
these clouds and fell, aslant along the face
OF the mountain and touched the surface
OF tho lake, just rs 1t was above, 90 II
was pictured IN tho water. It was truly a
Kaleidoscope on q scale grander than Ihad
ever seen. It waa surely q picture gallery
above the art OF Dore, TO look at this lake
with all its reflections OF vordure aud
snow and cloudu and sunbeaus, all min.
Gled, yet all beautifully perfect and dis.
tinct, each in itself perfect, yet each mora
perfect In combination with all the
others. 81 }lsg,9 ,s'"rr y"
While 1t surpaBses all works Of art in
Its colorings, being more rare and por-
Eeous, yet | thought OF Dore's pictures all
the while. Not THAT any Of his pictured
had 30 much resemblance to this; but his
pictures have slwsys impressed me with a
sense Of immeaauresble aud uniathomable
distance. In looking at his pictures, there
10 Vague and restless aenss OF something
beyond anything that you can Geo. Il
seemed'eo with this lake and tho pictures
within Its placid waters. One could
scarcely usy whether what he looked at
vas three miles or million miles away.
Il NO HUMAN HABlrATIoN
was anywhere in ate. wonder II snv
fkll ever ii'ated upon this calm plain Of
water: Strange 1t seems that thing 40
beautiful. should DO created and 80 long
remain lost to the appreciation OF the
world who would, or those Of the world
who love the perfect and the enchanting
IN nature. For there are soulleas clods
who pass for humanity, who could see
this lake and Its unbroken reflection. and
never once think Of tho symmetry and
faultlessness of what they bsheld.
Weary with thousands OF mica oftrayel
as was, thought how reatiul 1t would
be to drlis out In light boat, with some
one IN whose company could fud epioy. |
ment, and thersspend tho evening hours,
looking at the realities above and on all |
sides round, and then at the deep pictures
in the water, all blending with quietness |
and harmony. n u o. g,S0
But, there was no boat and no one To |
accompany me, and I passed on to the |
western end Of the lake, where l found |
narrow passage. way leading between two
mountalns, and down this ravine took
ny, way under the cool shade OF the pines
and cedars growing there, and left, per.
maps forever, the beautiful and nameless
lake, nestled in among the mountains Of I
British Columbia. I do not expect ever
20 see 1t again, or ever 10 stand again upon
its shores and look at the bright retlec-
tons from its waters. but, when other
hmes, Shall come, and when village
staadsiWhere now stand those cedars, aged
q Thousand yenie, then the beauties msy
ma the appreciation which they deserve.
BUT, ere that time. comes, many OF the
finest lsntnres will have faded and passed
away. Where will these forests then DO,
that now shadow over with their green
ness nnd their qnietude! They have
reached the end ct their history even now
ior tho hamea were leaving waste OF
ashes even as I passed by. $3.50 ".s5
1t seemed that I had happened there
Just In time tovee the last OF the forents
and also to SEQ the anarchy of the dsstruc.
ton. What will this lake be, when II
shall have deeert shores 2: II will be like
humboldt Lake, in Nevada, with burning
sand and barren rocks for shores, and
hlllo dead beyond resurrection to stand
eentlnei over the solitude. But the eky
viii be blue forever, and those peaks oil
sh1tefiag snow will look down forever,
even though all else shall perish. 1t was
we'll thst came when did. Had ] been
ono day later, much Of tho beauty would
have depsrtsd ESQ my coming. thought
Of this as passed away and took my path
down the narrow deGlo, and lost sight ior.
ever Of that dreamy, nameleas lake. M |